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Tesla builds their own batteries. I don't think they build them from scratch, though.

Tesla has a $12,000 prepaid battery replacement option, but if you fail to keep it charged and it turns into a "brick," it'll cost you $40,000. There is no insurance available for EV battery replacement. There is no warranty for bricks. A generator would be a good investment.

Tesla expects its battery to last seven years. With the $12,000 prepaid battery option, Tesla charges you an extra $2,000 per year under 7 years, and pays you $1,000 per year over 7 years.

Tesla says its battery will retain 70% of its capacity after 7 years. By then, battery technology will have improved quite a bit, and prices will have dropped. A car with a 300-mile range would only go 210 miles. A car with a 230-mile range would go 160 miles. So if you drive 180 miles a day, you would expect to get the 300-mile battery (at an additional cost of $10,000 over the 230-mile battery), you would expect to sell the car in less than four years, or you would try to extend the range by driving slowly and avoiding jackrabbit starts.

EV owners say that with careful driving, the range can be extended as much as 25%. Putting this together, a 300-mile battery pushed to 400 miles and then reduced to 70% means a maximum possible range after 7 years of 280 miles. So a seven year life wouldn't necessitate a great loss off range.

The model S starts at $50,000 for the 160-mile car. With options, it can cost over $100,000.

If you are not rich and you want to step up to an alternate energy car, you would be better off considering a hybrid, a natural gas, or a diesel.

i didnt even look at the links, but what Six and Punisher said was spot on. Not to mention the disposal aspect of the batteries. Punisher, also brings up a good point many electric plants operate on 40-60 year old technology. Electricity is not nearly as clean to produce with most forms of current production, as people would or are lead to believe.

IMO batteries have a LONG way to go before elec cars will be a viable solution to personal transportation. The need for better laptop and cell phone batteries will drive the need... regardless of EV cars... however IMO do not expect a breakthrough soon (like not for at least a few years).

What I do find interesting is: Every time we have an economic boom, energy seems to get scarce... then we have an economic downturn and energy conservation becomes trendy. Then when the economy starts to tick again we magically have endless energy... anyone see a curious pattern here which should be investigated?

So if this pattern will play out again (as it has in the past), we will see EV cars as not being a viable solution until the next economic boom turns int a bust....

I'm all for electric cars, but we need a number of things to happen before they are viable enough to exist as a significant percentage of the vehicles on the road.
Better batteries.
A better power grid.
A massive expansion in clean, efficient, relatively low cost nuclear power generation.

I took these pics at the Houston Galleria back in December. Tesla has small showroom with a Model S on display. Without getting into the viability and politics of electric cars, the vehicle is impressive. I did a little looking around their website and the base models go for about $90K and the fully loaded Model S around $130K. This is before any tax rebates or incentives.

The engineering is nothing short of remarkable. The drive-train is beautiful in it's simplicity and precision. The actually have a cut away electric motor that you can play with, it's close to 400HP. There is no transmission, just the motor and battery. The interior is on par with a Mercedes and it's just plain cool.

Notice the pics that show the body lifted off the frame. The battery resides there giving the car a low center of gravity and according to Tesla exceptional handling.

If there is one on display near you I urge you go see it and sit inside. While very few people can afford it now, it is very likely the technology of the future.

The picture in my avatar is of the Houston Ship Channel and was taken from my backyard. I like to sit outside and slap mosquitos while watching countless supertankers, barges and cargo ships of every shape and size carry all sorts of deadly toxins to and fro. It's really beautiful at times.....just don't eat the three eyed fish....